New Team New Friends
by Eosophobia-3
Summary: Based on X-Men First Class (comic). The original team's first meeting, how they build as a team, new friendships and romances. Coping with their mutations and general fun! Something light and happy to read with some angst now and then (what would an X-Men story be without angst?).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Welcome Home**

Five of them. Five young mutants staying in the same house – if the mansion could be called such a meagre word – having the same lessons and training. That was the Professor's big idea. Eighteen year-old Scott Summers didn't like it. He'd lived at the mansion almost six months and he was used to his own space and one on one time with Xavier. He didn't want a group of strangers hustling in on his tranquil space, not to mention the fact that he'd have to be extra careful around them what with his condition.

These were the thoughts littering the young man's mind as he sat opposite the bald, wheelchair-bound man in the large drawing room. Of course, Scott had already pleaded his case and lost because once the Professor had made up his mind about something that was that. Before the shaded teen could protest any further, the doorbell rang and he followed his trusted guardian to answer it.

Scott pulled open the heavy wooden door, staring at the floor as he did so, still not used to looking people in the eye. He stepped behind the Professor's wheelchair as the telepath greeted their first arrival. They shook hands and for almost an entire minute neither the Professor nor the new mutant spoke. Scott finally gave in and brought his eyes up to look at his new housemate. He suddenly believed that having more mutants around was the greatest idea anyone had ever had.

"This is Jean Grey," the Professor gestured to Scott, whose mouth was now agape, "Jean, this is Scott Summers. He's been here six months now so I'm sure he'll show you the ropes."

Jean tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear and held out her hand to shake.

"Hi, Scott. Nice to meet you."

It took a moment for the youngster in shades to remember how to use his arms but he finally managed to complete the handshake.

"Hi." _I've never seen anyone so beautiful._

Jean's cheeks flushed and she tugged her hand away quickly as the Professor smirked.

"Jean is a telepath like me, Scott."

Scott's shoulders tensed and he clenched his jaw, _Oh crap_, "Oh, crap."

When Scott's face finally returned to a normal shade for human skin, Jean stepped inside the mansion. She stared in awe at the various artefacts and old paintings that lined the walls, her bright eyes taking in every detail. She was so engrossed with her new surroundings that she walked straight into Scott when he stopped by the stairs.

He cleared his throat and pointed up the grand staircase, "Your room is up here, opposite mine." _I hope I don't have any more nightmares._

Jean frowned at the odd thought but didn't speak on it; she'd found that most people preferred to keep their thoughts to themselves and usually got irritated or annoyed if she mentioned something they thought was private. Scott grabbed one of her suitcases and started to drag it up the stairs, his spindly arms straining with the weight of it. He looked like he might snap in half before he reached the top.

"Um," Jean bit her lip in an attempt to hide her amusement and flicked her wrist. The other suitcase that she brought floated into the air and ascended the stairs beside her, gracefully hovering just a few inches ahead. She reached the landing at the same time Scott did.

"Sorry," she pressed her lips into a thin line to conceal her smile, "I should have mentioned my telekinesis."

Between ragged breaths, Scott nodded and gasped, "No problem, I haven't done any weight training today," _Or ever, _"So I needed the workout."

With a smile that sent shivers down Scott's spine, Jean thanked him and followed him to her new room. She was about to ask what his mutant abilities were as he'd been thinking about everything _but_ them since she arrived but was interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. It sounded more like someone trying to break in rather than a polite gesture of arrival.

The two teenagers rushed down the stairs and met with the Professor as he opened the door. Standing in the doorway, or rather _filling_ it, was a muscle-bound lad with the largest hands Scott had ever seen. He wore a baseball cap atop dark hair and small glasses that looked somewhat comical on his jock-like frame. With a hand as gentle as a mother chimp, the mutant took off his cap and smiled warmly at the trio before him.

"Good afternoon, my name is Henry McCoy, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

As Scott's mouth hung open, shocked at the eloquence of such a brute, Jean shook one of Henry's giant hands. Scott managed an awkward head nod and was once again on luggage duty as the new arrival absorbed his surroundings. His eyes lit up at every mew object he found and he even managed to handle a few fragile items on display, his huge hands surprisingly dexterous.

"You must never be bored with such wondrous surroundings, my dear Scott," Henry was currently studying a glass case full of broken pieces of pottery.

"Er, sure, Henry." Scott raised an eyebrow at Jean and she smiled, once again taking his breath away.

"Hank, please," Henry peeled his eyes away from the cabinet and smiled broadly, "No one calls me Henry."

As they stepped into what was to be Hank's room, Scott plonked his cases on the plush carpet and stretched his arms above his head. He wasn't looking forward to the inevitable muscle-ache later on. Intrigued as always with anything new, he looked over to Hank, who was busy arranging some glass jars on the windowsill, and asked as politely as he could,

"So Hank, what's your mutation?"

The larger teen placed the last jar, which contained something that resembled a tiny rat with wings, on the sill and turned to Scott. His huge body blocked the light from the window as he raised his hands out before him.

"I am an extremely agile individual. Athletic too. I was lined up to play football for the state…" He trailed off, eyes to the floor.

"Clever too!" Jean placed a hand on Hank's shoulder and he smiled, a silent 'thank you' in his kind eyes. His attention moved back to Scott,

"What about you? What incredible mutation do you hold?"

Scott's hand reflexively moved to his red-tinted glasses but before he could respond the doorbell rang once more.

He sighed, "It's like Central Station in here."

By the time the three teens got to the front door it was already closed and the new arrival was nowhere to be seen. Jean shivered and when she spoke her breath came out in a cloud of white, as though she was standing outside in the snow.

"Did someone turn on the AC? It's freezing in here!"

"Ah, my bad. I'll try to keep my distance."

The voice came from the drawing room and, as Jean turned towards it, the youngster stepped into the hallway with the others. He looked younger than them by a couple of years, he was perhaps fifteen or sixteen, and his light brown hair was sticking up in various directions like he'd just gotten out of bed. The most striking thing about him, however, was the utterly frosty aura surrounding him. Not a metaphorical aura, the few inches near his body were actually cold to the touch and Hank could have sworn he saw some icicles forming on the wall behind him.

"Bobby Drake," the cold air shifted slightly as Bobby held out his hand to shake Hank's. The larger man shook it vigorously and began to move around Bobby as though deciding where to dissect first.

They showed Bobby to his room, which he couldn't quite believe was all his, and the Professor informed the group that their final member would be joining them later that evening, leaving them to try and get to know one another a little more. When Jean suggested that they show one another their abilities, they moved into the grounds of the mansion out of fear of breaking something expensive indoors.

Jean went first, secretly wanting to show the boys that the lady could handle herself just fine. She turned to the large, ornate fountain in the centre of the courtyard and raised her hands high, telekinetically raising the fountain too; it hovered for a few seconds and suddenly the redhead felt the link to it waver, sending it crashing to the ground with a bang. The water splashed out of it like a mini tidal wave, soaking the boys.

"Wow. Thanks," Scott smirked as he wringed out his shirt.

"Me next!" Bobby rubbed his hands together and held them out towards the still-dripping Scott. A burst of sub-zero air shot at the dripping teen and within seconds his soaked shirt was frozen solid. It stuck out awkwardly and forced his arms outwards, making him look like a cardboard cut-out of himself. Jean and Hank couldn't help but laugh and even Scott finally gave in and smiled. Bobby mouthed a 'sorry' as Hank prepared to display his talent.

He walked to the wall of the mansion, broad shoulders making him look like a pro-wrestler, and stopped. Then, with the grace and ease of an ape in the jungle, he bounded up the wall, propelled himself off it and latched onto a nearby streetlamp. He hung there casually as the others whooped and cheered.

"Your turn, Scotty!" Bobby's grin gave away his youth and Jean couldn't help but mirror it. She too was curious about Scott's abilities.

Scott, however, remained stoic. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the ground dejectedly, "I can't."

Bobby's lower lip jutted out, "Oh, come on! We showed you ours!"

Hank dismounted the lamp silently and stood beside Bobby, making the icy cold boy look even smaller in comparison.

"Come on, Scott. We want to see what you can do!"

Even Hank's encouragement wasn't enough to persuade him. Scott pushed his glasses tighter on his face and shook his head, "I can't. It's too dangerous."

He turned to leave but Jean spoke up, "That's alright. We understand."

She smiled at him but this time he wasn't as enthusiastic to see it; he walked to the mansion, head lowered.

"Really? We don't get to see it?"

Bobby's pout was growing by the second but a sudden idea wiped it from his face. He created a snowball in his hands and launched it at Scott with as much force as he could muster. It connected with its target with accurate precision and smacked Scott directly on the back of his head, covering him in damp snow. In a matter of seconds all hell broke loose. Scott's glasses clattered to the floor, leaving his open eyes exposed and his mutant ability to roam free. An almost blinding red beam of energy burst forth from Scott's eyes and shot across the courtyard in a stream of pure force. It knocked over a statue of an angel and burst through the outer wall as if it were made from playdough. A little too late, Scott slapped his arm across his eyes and quickly dropped to his knees, blindly fumbling around for his glasses. A voice close to his face made him jump as Jean placed the shades back onto his face.

"Here you go, Scott."

As Scott opened his eyes, the familiar red hue returning to his field of vision, he looked at Jean's face expecting a look of terror or perhaps disgust. The emotion wasn't present, however, and instead she looked worried.

_She's not scared? Why isn't she scared?_

Jean smiled and spoke so only Scott could hear her reply, "You, Scott Summers, are the _least_ scary person I know."

Hank and Bobby helped Scott to his feet (he was a little drained from using so much power so suddenly) and surveyed the damage.

"Oh my stars and garters," Hank removed his glasses and wiped them, as if hoping the scene would change when he put them back on, "That's quite a gift you have there, Scott."

_More like a curse_.

Jean couldn't help but hear the thought as it marched through Scott's brain like a stampede of elephants.

"I- I am _so_ sorry, man! I didn't know- I just thought- Oh, _man_!" Bobby was waving his arms around frantically, trying to find the right words and radiating an even colder temperature than before. He looked like he might start to cry.

"It's alright, Bobby, you weren't to know." Scott attempted a nonchalant expression but ended up looking kind of drained instead.

Bobby relaxed a little and then his eyes almost bulged out of his head, "I don't have to pay for the damage do I? Because I have no money whatsoever."

The others smiled and turned to walk back into the mansion.

Meanwhile, a blonde, handsome young man in a long brown trench coat was standing at the front door of the mansion, contemplating whether or not to knock on the door. He had come of his own accord but was starting to have doubts as to whether it was a good idea to come here after all. Would he be considered a freak? An abomination? He was about to leave when the wall to his left suddenly exploded in a flash of red light. He fell backwards onto his backside and stared aghast at the smouldering hole. Maybe he would fit in here after all.

"Hello?" he stepped through the freshly made gateway to the courtyard and squinted through the settling dust towards where a small group of people were gathered. They immediately stopped talking and moved towards him, avoiding the smouldering rocks as they did so.

"Ah, you must be the last member of our group!" Hank gripped the newcomer's hands in one of his and introduced the others in a blur of names and faces.

"Warren. Warren Worthington III." He instantly regretted giving his full title as the youngest of the group gawped at him, "J-just Warren will do."

"Are you a _king_?!" Bobby's blue eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at Warren.

"What? No…"

Jean ignored Bobby's gazing eyes and shook Warren's hand gently, "Nice to meet you, Warren."

She tilted her head slightly and squinted at him as though measuring him, causing Warren's cheeks to burn. Her eyes suddenly widened and she moved around him to look closer at his back, making Warren move back instinctively. He made sure to keep front-facing her so that she couldn't get any closer.

"We were just showing each other our abilities." Bobby enthused, "I got a little carried away." He grimaced and gestured towards the damaged wall. Warren's mouth fell open,

"_You _did that?!"

"Not exactly," Bobby shook his head, "But it was my fault."

"The damage was my fault." Scott, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, "Sorry if it scared you."

There was that word again, 'scared', Jean had to bite her tongue in order to remain silent. Why did Scott think people would be so scared of him? He was no different from them, surely he knew he'd be accepted by the group?

Warren smiled, thankful that the blast had been an accident caused by this unassuming guy, "That's alright. I wasn't scared," he watched as Scott's eyebrows knitted together but continued anyway, "I _will_ have a nice bruise on my ass, though."

The group laughed and Scott was thankful that the attention had been refocused on their new arrival rather than his mistake.

"So, what's your mutation, Warren?" Bobby looked him up and down, trying to see an extra head or something.

"Bobby," Jean smacked his arm, "He hasn't even stepped foot inside the house yet! Give him a chance to settle in first."

"What?" Bobby's pout returned and he did everything but stamp his feet, "That's not fair! I bet you already read his mind and know what he can do!"

Warren went rigid. Did Jean know his secret already? It usually took him months to work up the trust to tell someone about his mutation and even then it almost always ended with the other person cowering away or laughing at him. He felt his back twitch involuntarily and he tried to change the subject.

"So, do we have our own rooms?"

Scott noticed his reluctance to divulge his secrets and sympathised with him, he knew all too well what it was like to want to keep his mutation to himself. He smiled brightly and gestured towards the house,

"Sure we do! Come on, we'll find out which room is yours."

"Yeah," Bobby grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Welcome to the freak show."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: New Surroundings**

Once inside the mansion, the five mutants made their way to where Warren would be staying. Bobby kept a little too close as Scott opened the bedroom door and waved the newest arrival inside. His room was certainly the largest; it stretched to almost twice the width of Bobby's and he wasn't afraid to air his complaints about it.

"Whoa, your room is _huge_, man!" Bobby's mouth gaped as he entered the large bedroom, "I mean, mine is twice the size of my room at home but _jeez_, this is gigantic!" he leaned up towards Warren's handsome face, "Is this because you're rich? Did you bribe the Professor?"

That earned Bobby a smack around the head from Scott, silencing the youngest mutant. Warren placed his bags on the bed and ran his hands through his blonde hair, which hung just below his ears, and sighed. Moving to the window, he quickly opened it as wide as it would go, physically relaxing as the fresh air encapsulated his new room. He turned back to face his new friends only to find them staring at him, each with curious eyes.

"What?"

Before the other four mutants could respond, the Professor's voice echoed through their minds. Bobby and Warren physically jumped whilst Hank tilted his head, fascinated by the psychic connection. Jean and Scott remained still, like they were utterly used to someone else's voice inside their heads.

"Dinner will be ready at eight, students." The Professor's British tones seemed to wrap around their brains like strands of silk, "Please gather in the dining room shortly."

Bobby turned to Scott, "Does he always do that?"

Scott nodded, "You'll get used to it."

They entered the huge dining room and took their seats at a long, mahogany table in the centre of the room. The Professor was already seated at the head of the table in his wheelchair and he smiled pleasantly as the students each took their seats. Scott made sure to sit beside Jean, almost shoving Bobby out of the way as he tried to sit. The younger mutant settled for sitting at the other side of her, next to the Professor. Hank and Warren sat opposite them, separated only by a very elaborate and fragile-looking candelabra that Bobby was precariously close to knocking over with his elbow. Hank turned to Warren, who was still wearing his long, beige anorak, and whispered discreetly,

"You should take that off, it's bad manners to wear outdoor clothing at dinner."

Warren's ears flushed a deep red and he opened his mouth to speak but The Professor's voice interjected him.

"I'd like to officially welcome you all to my institute. I know you're all probably quite confused as to why you are here. I have chosen you five to be the first students of my academy. Here, you will learn how to use your powers to the best of your abilities and use them to show the world that mutants and humans can coexist peacefully. You will work as a team and help to promote our peaceful message wherever you go." The room was silent, save for Bobby's loud _gulp _and then all seriousness seemed to fade from Xavier's face, "Now, let's enjoy some good food!"

Two waiters brought out broccoli gazpacho and set it down in front of the diners. Hank wolfed his down in a matter of seconds whilst Bobby took a tentative sip and tried not to gag. He leaned closer to Jean and whispered,

"My soup is cold."

Jean's smile lit up her face as she swept her spoon through her own soup, "It's supposed to be, Bobby."

Bobby curled up his nose and pushed his soup discreetly towards Hank, who devoured it too. Every time a new dish was brought out, everyone but Warren seemed in utter awe. He, however, was used to such lavish delights and didn't quite understand the reactions of his peers. The main was more to Bobby's taste; steamed vegetables and a piece of steak that was almost bigger than his head. Silence fell upon the room as they inhaled the wondrous food, Hank finishing off any leftovers, and then dessert was served: brownies with honeycomb ice cream. Of that there were no leftovers.

"I hope you all enjoyed your meals," Xavier knitted his fingers together in front of him, "I'm afraid you won't be eating like this every day. But I thought you might enjoy something wholesome on your first night with us."

Bobby gave him a well-deserved thumbs-up as he manoeuvred his chair towards the door, encouraging the students to leave.

They stepped out, each thanking the Professor quietly and then, when it was Warren's turn to pass him, Xavier took his hand and shook it warmly.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Charles Xavier, welcome to the Xavier Institute."

Warren smiled, "Thank you. It's nice to finally put a face to the voice I've been hearing all this time."

The Professor chuckled and pushed the small stick on his armrest to move his wheelchair, so as to keep pace with Warren as he exited the room. He looked up at him before Warren got to the stairs,

"Is your room spacious enough?"

"Yes, thank you for accommodating my… _needs._" Warren's cheeks pinked a little.

"Of course. And, Warren, there is no need to hide who you are here. Everyone is a little different. Don't cause yourself pain just to hide who you truly are." With that, Xavier rolled towards the drawing room, leaving Warren to return to his room.

Bobby stared at the broken glass covering his new bedroom's floor. Back home his mother had removed every bit of glass or crystal from the house for just this reason. He'd been looking at himself in the full-length mirror that was attached to the oak wardrobe in his new room, inspecting his face for any new pimples that may have cropped up, when he'd leaned a little too far and frosted up the glass. Before he'd had a chance to step back, his temperature dropped and the glass smashed outwards. Not only was there now shards of glass all over the floor and his bed, some of it had slashed his arm as it exploded. Too embarrassed to ask for help, Bobby poked his head out of his room and crept downstairs in search of a broom.

Scott was in the kitchen drinking a steaming cup of coffee when he saw Bobby sneak past the doorway like some sort of terrible cat burglar. He grinned and left his drink to follow the younger teen down the hallway. It was only 9:30pm and the mansion was dark. Bobby almost tripped a few times before finally reaching the broom closet. He opened it and found exactly what he was looking for: a broom and a trash bag. Thinking he was the sneakiest sneak to ever walk the Earth, he grinned widely and turned and closed the closet door.

There was something different about the dark hallway, however; a dim red glow seemed to be throbbing from behind one of the long curtains against the window and Bobby rolled his eyes at Scott's failed attempt at stealth.

"I can see you there, Scott."

Shocked and a little embarrassed at his discovery, Scott scooted out from behind the curtain and squinted into the darkness towards Bobby.

"How did you know I was there?"

Bobby tapped his temple, "Spidey-sense, man." He heard Scott's confused 'huh?' and laughed, "Dude, your eyes are like big glowey UFO lights."

Scott's hands automatically shot to his shades, "They are?"

Bobby nodded smugly.

"What are you doing, anyway?"

Scott's question knocked the smugness from Bobby's face and he tried, unsuccessfully, to conceal the broom behind his back. He soon gave up and told Scott what had happened to his mirror as they made their way upstairs.

"You should have said! I know just the person for the clean-up!"

Scott almost skipped towards Jean's room and knocked on her door with a lively rhythm. When she answered in her pyjamas, the young man almost choked on his own words.

"Jean, we, er that is, _Bobby, _er… He-"

"I smashed my mirror and Scott said you could help clean it up." Bobby saved Scott from his word vomit smoothly and received a thankful nod from the red-shaded teen.

The redhead's hand snapped to her hip and she glared at Scott, "You thought I would help clean up because I'm a _girl_?!"

Behind his shades, Scott's eyes bugged out, "What? No! I just thought, with your powers…"

Jean smiled and lifted Scott's chin so that he was forced to look at her, "I'm kidding, Scott."

Bobby smiled at the blatant flirting between the two and showed Jean to his room. She easily lifted all of the shards of glass without touching a single piece and placed them into the trash bag. It was cleaned up in a matter of minutes and Bobby couldn't conceal his embarrassment at his mistake. Scott, however, was extremely understanding and told him that he'd had more than his fair share of 'mishaps' whilst living at the mansion, including blowing the front door off.

"Hey, you're hurt!" Jean lifted Bobby's arm and looked at the cut.

It seemed pretty deep but she had no knowledge of first aid. They decided to ask the only member of the group who seemed like he might know at least _something _about how to patch Bobby up.

Hank answered his door with his glasses perched atop his shaggy black hair; smudges of ink dotted his cheek and he was holding multiple sheets of paper like he'd been researching something.

"Something wrong?"

Bobby held out his arm and Hank sighed, "It's not really my area of expertise."

"Hey!" Bobby suddenly seemed much more animated, "Maybe Warren's mutation is like a healing power or something!"

Jean shook her head, "I don't think-"

"Yeah, it can't help to ask!" Scott was already pounding on Warren's bedroom door.

After almost a minute of knocking there was still no answer and so Bobby pushed open the door. Jean and Scott both tried to pull him back but he insisted that they should check on him, in case something bad had happened. What he was actually thinking was that he might get a glimpse of Warren's mutation if he caught him off guard. The room was dark and chilly, the window still wide open, and clothes were scattered across the floor. It was immediately obvious where Warren was as his snoring figure lay under his duvet.

"_Can we go now, please?"_ Jean stage-whispered and they each backed out slowly.

Bobby managed to snag a t-shirt before closing the door behind him. He wanted to know what type of big brands Warren wore and he wasn't surprised to find that the shirt was a known name. What confused him, however, were the huge holes cut out of the back of the t-shirt. He shrugged it off as 'fashion' and followed the others downstairs to find the first aid kit.

After patching up Bobby's arm, Hank poured everyone some tea and they sat around the small kitchen table, chatting about their new home and past experiences. It was obvious that they were all a little shocked at Xavier's plans for them to be some sort of peacekeeping team but more than anything, excitement seemed to be at the forefront. Scott was just finishing off a story about accidentally vaporising his breakfast when something clanged in the hallway.

"Burglars?" Bobby's eyes widened but Scott shook his head.

"Not with our security system."

Jean closed her eyes and silently searched for another brain but came up with nothing. She looked at the others with confused eyes, "Maybe it's an animal?"

Another crashing sound echoed down the hall and Scott jumped to his feet, ready for action. He looked like one of the action figures Bobby used to play with as a kid and he snorted in an attempt to keep his laughter in. The four of them stepped into the hall and Hank swiftly clicked on the main lights. There, standing in the centre of the corridor, was a half-naked man with wings.

His chest and torso were bare but he had pyjama pants on and his huge white wings were twice the length of his body. They flapped now and then and stretched awkwardly in the cramped space, like a bird trapped in a cage.

"An angel!" Bobby turned to Hank, face mortified, "Did we _die_?!"

The bird-man turned then and the group finally understood. It was Warren. His muscled torso and toned arms were almost loose as his wings did all the work. Now and then they gained enough leverage to lift him off the ground but he mainly just flapped awkwardly. That's when Jean realised that his eyes were closed. She turned to Hank and the others,

"I think he's sleepwalking. That's why his thoughts were so muddled."

"Sleep_flying_ you mean?" Scott's eyes remained glued to Warren but he continued speaking to Jean, "Did you know this was his mutation?"

"I saw it, yes."

"Called it," Bobby grinned smugly and then ducked as one of the powerful wings swept by his head.

The other wing flapped wildly and knocked a vase to the wooden floor. It shattered loudly, waking Warren from his slumber. He stared with a vacant expression for a few moments, completely dumbfounded, and then hastily tucked his wings behind his back with a movement so fast it blew Jean's hair around her face.

Scott stepped forward, "You okay, buddy?"

"Sorry. I- I'll pay for that." Warren's face was a deep shade of scarlet and he looked almost in pain as he stood there facing his housemates. His left wing kept twitching like something invisible was tugging at it.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Jean stepped towards Warren and held her hand out towards his twitching wing but he held it back, seemingly ashamed. Jean simply rolled her eyes and stepped closer, "Come here, we've already had the first aid box out tonight."

Warren's eyes bulged and he quickly looked closely at his new friends, "Why? Did I hurt someone?"

Bobby waved his hand dismissively, "Nah, I got a bit… cold."

"He looked into a mirror and broke it. Go figure." Scott grinned and avoided Bobby's attempted thump in the arm.

That seemed to relax Warren a little and he followed the others into the kitchen, carefully manoeuvring himself around the various fragile-looking things so as not to knock them off with his exposed wings. Jean floated the first aid kit down from the counter and told Warren to turn around, which he did after only a slightly apprehensive glance in her direction.

"Hmm…" the redhead gently took Warren's twitching wing and pulled it outwards, not to its full span as it wouldn't fit in the small kitchen but far enough so that she could see what was causing Warren's discomfort.

A piece of porcelain was wedged between some of the feathers, shattered from the vase he'd knocked over earlier. Jean's fingers brushed gently against the wing, causing a spasm so strong that the force of the flailing wing almost knocked her over. Warren mumbled an apology but was somewhat distracted by the fact that Hank was staring at him so closely that he wondered whether _he_ was in fact the one with the mental powers. The dark-haired man pulled on his glasses and hovered his huge hands around Warren's shoulders. For a moment Warren was scared that Hank might touch his wings with those beastly hands but the intelligent young man simply examined him like a new species he'd discovered.

"Um…" He was about to ask Hank if he needed some sort of explanation but was immediately distracted by the sudden sharp pain that shot through his wing and down his spine. Resisting the urge to flap wildly like some sort of trapped animal, Warren spun, wings tucked back, and glared at Jean who simply smiled at him as she held up the shard she'd just pulled from his wing.

"Got it." She plopped the shard into the trashcan and sprayed some antibiotic spray onto the small cut before sitting down at the kitchen table, beside Scott.

The red-shaded teen pointed at Hank, who was still hovering around Warren like a worker bee, "Hank, give it a rest."

With an expression that looked like he'd only just figured out what he was actually doing, Hank stopped inspecting Warren and took off his glasses, "My apologies, Warren. Your mutation is just so… unique. I've never seen anything like it!" He stepped aside to let the blonde man have some space and tilted his head quizzically, "Do you sleepwalk often?"

"Only when I'm somewhere new," the winged mutant folded his appendages as far back as they would go and shivered, suddenly aware of the fact that he was half naked in front of a group of strangers, "I'm going to… Sleep. Yes."

As Warren turned, Bobby spoke up, "Hey, Warren," he turned to look at the younger boy, "Your mutation is so _cool_!"

Warren stepped out of the kitchen and smiled as he made his way back to his room.

**Thanks so much for the reviews so far!**


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